Knuckles, a spin-off miniseries based on the live-action and CGI hybrid Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, follows the titular character and his new best friend, Wade Whipple, as they travel to Reno to partake in a bowling championship called the Bowling Tournament of Champions. They face several obstacles along the way because of The Buyer and G.U.N. agents Mason and Willoughby, as they want to harness Knuckles’ energy to power their weapons and become stronger than their respective bosses (Robotnik and G.U.N.) ever were. At the championship, Wade reunites with his long-lost father, Pete Whipple. But that turns out to be a bad move, as Pete sells out his whole family to Mason and Willoughby so that Wade doesn’t come in between him and his bowling trophy. So, in order to free his family, Wade not only has to give up his dreams of winning the coveted title of “bowling champion,” but also Knuckles. Does Wade go through with it in the final episode of Knuckles? Let’s find out.
Spoiler Alert
Initially, in episode 6 of Knuckles, it does seem like Wade Whipple has given up the titular Echidna to the former agents of G.U.N. But it’s revealed to be a huge misdirect as Wade informs Knuckles about what he is walking into, thereby saving Knuckles from being ambushed by Mason and Willoughby. While Knuckles fights Mason and Willoughby, Wade rescues his mother and his sister. Willoughby tries to trap Knuckles by sending him through the portal rings. However, Knuckles uses them to send Willoughby and Mason into an unknown realm. With them out of the way, Wade goes off to face his two-faced father. Knuckles tries to chill out, but The Buyer arrives in Reno in a giant metal suit that is powered by Knuckles’ spines. Since the suit has the ability to absorb Knuckles’ powers, The Buyer weakens the Echidna quite a lot. Wade defeats Pete and then rushes to help Knuckles.
Since Wade is a regular human being (well, maybe he has some superpowers because he did manage to get out of Jack Sinclair’s electric cage), he is no match for The Buyer. Thankfully, Wanda and Wendy show up at the scene with Mason’s discarded power gloves, which are obviously powered by Knuckles’ spines. He keeps The Buyer busy while Knuckles regains his energy. And as soon as The Buyer is about to blow Wade to smithereens, Knuckles intervenes and uses the Flames of Disaster—Knuckles’ famous fists are literally lit on fire—to kill The Buyer. At the end of Knuckles, the Whipples and the titular Echidna rush back to the bowling championship arena, only to find Pete trying to run away with the trophy. They give him a good thrashing, and Wade achieves the title of “bowling champion.” The miniseries hilariously ends on a freeze frame. Knuckles does have a mid-credits scene, but it just features Wade and Knuckles driving into the sunset while listening to some music.
Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how the story of Knuckles is going to impact the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Well, I think it won’t affect Sonic’s trilogy in any substantial way. Mason and Willoughby were introduced in the miniseries, and they’ve no reason to be brought back. The Buyer was introduced in the miniseries, and he is as good as dead. The Whipples, despite being an interesting bunch of characters, hardly matter in the larger scheme of things. You see, the miniseries is designed in such a way that even if you don’t want to watch it, you’ll be able to follow the third film in the Sonic franchise.
As for the themes and character development in the show, things are pretty flimsy. Knuckles learns how to make friends during his stint with the Whipples, and maybe that’s going to help him trust Sonic and Tails more than he does already. If Knuckles has become a bit of a pacifist, maybe he’ll help Shadow the Hedgehog be less villainous and more heroic. Wade Whipple learns that you shouldn’t always meet your heroes and listen to your mother if she is specifically telling you not to meet your long-lost father. I don’t think that’s going to factor into Sonic 3. Well, that’s it. If you want the miniseries to amount to something more than that, I’ll advise you to keep your expectations in check. Sonic 3 is slated to release later this year, with Keanu Reeves voicing Shadow, and that’s when we’ll know if I am right or wrong about the importance of this overlong and unfunny miniseries in the franchise.
